The Dodgers experienced a bit of deja vu when Matt Carpenter again turned the game on its head with a game-tying two-run home run in the eighth inning. It was only a day prior when Carpenter flipped the script, giving the Cardinals a 7-6 lead with a bases-clearing double to right-center off of Clayton Kershaw.

Game 2 starter Zack Greinke had tossed seven shutout innings and took the mound to begin the eighth inning. However, manager Don Mattingly opted to play the match-up when lefty Oscar Taveras was announced as a pinch-hitter. Mattingly strode to the mound, called on southpaw reliever J.P. Howell, and took the ball from Greinke. In a span of about one minute, Taveras ripped a single down the right field line and Carpenter smashed a two-run home run to right-center to tie the game at two apiece.

Just as quickly as Carpenter turned Dodger fans’ smiles upside-down, Matt Kemp fixed the frowns with a go-ahead solo home run to lead off the bottom of the eighth against sidewinding reliever Pat Neshek. The Dodgers were held scoreless from there, giving way to flame-throwing closer Kenley Jansen for the top of the ninth.

Jansen was able to get Yadier Molina to ground out before striking out Kolten Wong and Randal Grichuk consecutively to end the game, evening out the NLDS at 1-1.

The Dodgers scored their first two runs in the bottom of the third inning against Cardinals starter Lance Lynn. A.J. Ellis led off the frame with a double and moved to third on a bloop single to right field by Greinke. Ellis scored on what appeared to be a ground ball double play, but after replay review, was changed to a simple 4-3 ground out. The review helped the Dodgers, as Greinke was on second base and scored on a two-out single by Adrian Gonzalez.

Greinke was outstanding not just on the mound, but at the plate — something he’s well-known for doing. The pitcher went 2-for-3 at the plate. On the mound, the right-hander limited the Cardinals to two hits and two walks while striking out seven in seven innings.

Lynn’s performance would have been good enough to win on most nights. In six innings, he allowed seven hits, walked two, and struck out eight. Carpenter aside, the rest of the Cardinals’ lineup was 3-for-28 (.107) with one extra-base hit (a Wong double). If you’re the Cardinals, it’s hard to blame the pitching for Saturday’s loss when Carpenter was the only one doing any hitting.

Game 3 of the NLDS will take place on Monday in St. Louis as Dodgers lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu will oppose Cardinals right-hander John Lackey.

Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that Oakland Athletics owner John Fisher has reversed course and will continue to pay minor leaguers. Fisher tells Slusser, “I concluded I made a mistake.” He said he is also setting up an assistance fund for furloughed employees.

The A’s decided in late May to stop paying paying minor leaguers as of June 1, which was the earliest date on which any club could do so after an MLB-wide agreement to pay minor leaguers through May 31 expired. In the event, the A’s were the only team to stop paying the $400/week stipends to players before the end of June. Some teams, notable the Royals and Twins, promised to keep the payments up through August 31, which is when the minor league season would’ve ended. The Washington Nationals decided to lop off $100 of the stipends last week but, after a day’s worth of blowback from the media and fans, reversed course themselves.

An @sfchronicle exclusive: A's owner John Fisher reverses course, apologizes: team will pay minor-leaguers; "I concluded I made a mistake," he tells me. He's also setting up an assistance fund for furloughed employees: https://t.co/8HUBkFAaBx)